What is the Difference Between Reliability and Credibility?

The difference between reliability and credibility lies in their focus and meaning:

• Credibility refers to whether something can be believed as true and accurate. It is associated with the truthfulness and trustworthiness of a person or source of information. In the context of witness testimony, credibility is about a person's veracity, or whether they are telling the truth.
• Reliability refers to the ability to rely on someone or something, or being able to have trust and faith in them. It deals with the accuracy of a witness's testimony, considering their ability to accurately observe, recall, and recount events in issue.

In summary, reliability is about consistent performance, while credibility is about believability and trustworthiness. A credible witness may not necessarily be a reliable witness, and vice versa. Even if a witness appears sincere, truthful, and honest, their evidence might still be unreliable due to factors such as the passage of time, life experiences, or inconsistencies in their testimony.

Comparative Table: Reliability vs Credibility

Here is a table comparing the differences between reliability and credibility:

In summary, reliability focuses on the consistency of a method or measurement in producing accurate and consistent results, while credibility is about the believability and trustworthiness of a source or information. Reliability can be assessed by comparing different versions of the same measurement or determining how well the same method produces consistent results under the same conditions. On the other hand, credibility is often determined using the CRAAP test, which evaluates currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of a source.